A coronary thrombosis occurs when the coronary arteries, which originate at the root of the aorta and supply blood to the heart, become occluded by a blood clot. A coronary thrombosis may result in the destruction or severe deterioration in the condition of the heart muscle and may ultimately lead to death.
One method of treating a coronary thrombosis is to inject a fibrin clot-dissolving enzyme intravenously into the patient. The enzyme attacks and dissolves the blood clot to reopen the occluded artery. Relatively large doses of the enzyme are generally required when injected intravenously due to dilution or inactivation of enzyme by the active agent in the circulating blood. One risk inherent in this procedure is the destruction of the procoagulant and the anti-coagulant blood factors which produces a dangerous re-thrombosis and hemorrhage, such as a Hemorrhagic Stroke, resulting in brain damage and/or death.
Direct catheterization of the coronary arteries is another method used to infuse the coronary arteries with an enzyme during coronary thrombosis. Direct catheterization of the coronary arteries, however, may traumatize or damage the inner lining of the arteries. Further, direct catheterization requires highly skilled doctors with special training. Doctors capable of performing a direct catheterization are not available in many hospitals.
Use of balloon-type catheter to infuse medication into the arteries is known. For example, my own U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,502 describes a catheter with two round balloons to isolate an arterial segment to selectively profuse the artery. However, pressure on the upstream side of the catheter builds up quickly and tends to push the catheter out of the desired position.
Based on the forgoing, is clear that a new technique is needed to allow for profusion of the coronary arteries during a coronary thrombosis. Such a new technique should avoid direct catheterization of the coronary arteries.